Sports Briefly

Monday

Arsenal kept its bid to end a seven-year trophy drought on track Sunday, scoring three times in eight second-half minutes to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and reach the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Villa led 2-0 at halftime on goals by Richard Dunne and Darren Bent, prompting near silence from Arsenal fans still waiting for a trophy to follow the 2005 FA Cup.

The home side got back in the game with Robin van Persie's 54th-minute penalty, tied it on Theo Walcott's lucky rebound and took the lead in the 61st on a second spot kick from Van Persie.

Middlesbrough and Sunderland will replay on Feb. 7 for the right to face Arsenal after drawing their fourth-round match 1-1.

BARCELONA, Spain

David Zurutuza lasted only five minutes, but it was long enough to score a double in Real Sociedad's 5-1 rout of visiting Sporting Gijon in the Spanish league.

The 25-year-old midfielder volleyed Antoine Griezmann's cross into the left corner for Sociedad's second-minute opener, and a minute later he scored with another shot from the right side of the area after Carlos Vela had played him clear.

But Zurutuza's dream start took an ugly turn in the fifth minute when he and Sporting defender Gregory Arnolin collided face-to-face while disputing a loose ball.

ROME

Inter Milan's seven-match winning streak in the Italian league was broken with a 1-0 loss at Lecce, which allowed Lazio to jump ahead of the Nerazzurri into fourth place.

Uruguayan midfielder Guillermo Giacomazzi scored in the 40th minute for Lecce and Inter had two goals called back for offside.

Inter was one win away from matching the club-record winning streak.

Massimo Oddo provided the pass for Giacomazzi, who used his chest to control the ball and slotted a low shot past goalkeeper Julio Cesar as defenders Lucio and Walter Samuel failed to intervene.

PARIS

Ten-man Ajaccio moved out of the French league's relegation zone by defeating Valenciennes 2-1, its fourth straight victory.

The visitors were down to 10 men in the 73rd when midfielder Paul Lasne was sent off for a second yellow card, but substitute Christian Kinkela scored the winner in stoppage time by curling a shot into the top corner.